Mathematicians' Views on Current Publishing Issues: A Survey of Researchers
[by Kristine K. Fowler, December 2010]
Welcome to this survey exploring research mathematiciansí attitudes about and activity in the scholarly publishing landscape, which is changing rapidly due to technology-enabled opportunities and evolving research practices and culture. The results will help generate a current picture of scholarly communication in mathematics, informed by the practices and perceptions of active research mathematicians. Your survey replies will not be connected with your name, and only the aggregated data will be released after analysis. Notice of the studyís publication will be sent to all participants. The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Other than two required demographic items, all questions are optional, and certain questions will show only if applicable. If you can't finish in one session, you will be able to save your answers and continue the survey later. You are requested to complete the survey by December 16 [2010].
This survey explores research mathematiciansí attitudes about and activity in scholarly publishing.
There are 40 questions in this survey
DEMOGRAPHICS
1 In which area of mathematics does your research primarily lie? If your research crosses categories, please choose the single most appropriate one.
*
Please choose only one of the following:
* General
* History of Mathematics
* Mathematical Logic and Foundations
* Combinatorics
* Abstract Algebra
* Number Theory
* Real and Complex Analysis
* Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations
* Geometry
* Topology
* Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes
* Mathematical Statistics
* Numerical Analysis
* Theoretical Computer Science
* Mechanics
* Mathematical Physics
* Operations Research and Mathematical Programming
* Game Theory, Economics, Social & Behavioral Sciences
* Mathematical Biology
* Systems Theory
* Information and Communication Theory
* Mathematics Education
If you do not do research in any mathematics area, you are not eligible to participate in the current survey. Thank you very much for your interest!
2 What is your current position?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Undergraduate/bachelorís-degree-seeking student
* Graduate student/masterís-degree- or PhD-seeking student
* Temporary faculty member (e.g., Postdoctoral Fellow, Assistant Lecturer, Tutor)
* Permanent, tenure-track faculty member (e.g., Assistant Professor)
* Permanent, tenured faculty member (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor, Reader, Senior/Principal Lecturer)
* Other college/university instructor/researcher position
* Researcher working in industry
* Researcher working in government
* Retired
* Other
†
3 What is your age?
Please choose only one of the following:
* 18-25
* 26-35
* 36-45
* 46-55
* 56-65
* 66-75
* 76 or over
If you are younger than 18, you are not eligible to participate in the current survey. Thank you very much for your interest!
4 In which region do you primarily live?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Australia/New Zealand
* China
* Japan
* Asia (except China and Japan)
* Canada
* USA
* Mexico or Central/South America
* UK
* European Union (except UK)
* Other European countries (except EU or UK)
* Middle East
* Africa
5 From 2001 to the present, how many research papers of which you are author or co-author have been published in peer-reviewed journals? *
Please choose only one of the following:
* 0
* 1-5
* 6-15
* 16-25
* 26-35
* 36-45
* more than 45
PUBLISHING RESEARCH PAPERS
6 When submitting your research papers for publication in a journal, how important to you are the following factors?
Please choose the appropriate response for each item:
†
Very Important
Moderately Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important at all
The journalís quality and reputation
The publisher or scholarly society associated with the journal
Tenure and/or promotion criteria
The journal's policies on author rights
A print version of the journal
An online version of the journal
Speed of publication
Assurance of long-term availability
Inclusion in literature indexes, like MathSciNet or Web of Science
Large number of readers
Specialized journal scope and readership
No page charges or other author fees
Low subscription costs to libraries
Low or no access costs to readers worldwide
7 What other factors, if any, are very important to you when submitting your research papers for publication in a journal?
Please write your answer here:
†
8 An Open Access (OA) journal is defined as a journal that makes all its content immediately and freely available to any reader, with production costs covered by some means other than the usual e-journal subscriptions paid by libraries. Have you published a research paper in an OA journal?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes
* No
* Not Sure
9 Please list the OA journal(s) in which you have published.
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question 'P_OA ]
Please write your answer(s) here:
* OA journal #1
†
* OA journal #2
†
* OA journal #3
†
10 Which of the following factors influenced your decision to publish in an OA journal?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question 'P_OA ]
Please choose all that apply:
* The OA journalís quality and reputation
* The publisher or scholarly society associated with the OA journal
* Requirements of grant-awarding body
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* The OA journal's policies on author rights
* Speed of publication
* Assurance of long-term availability
* Inclusion in literature indexes, like MathSciNet or Web of Science
* Greater visibility through web search engines
* Higher citation rate for OA journals compared with subscription-based journals
* Large number of readers
* Specialized journal scope and readership
* No page charges or other author fees
* Institution or grant-awarding body covered the author fees
* No costs to libraries or readers worldwide
* Other:
†
11 Which of the following factors influenced your decision *not* to publish in an OA journal?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Not Sure' or 'No' to question 'P_OA ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Had not previously heard of the OA journal model
* Not aware of any OA journals in your field
* The OA journalís quality and reputation
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Inadequate peer review procedures
* No print version of the OA journal
* Unsure of long-term availability
* Unsure if included in literature indexes, like MathSciNet or Web of Science
* Compared with subscription-based online journals, easier for others to plagiarize your work
* Availability to inappropriate readers
* Inability to pay requested author fees
* Unwillingness to pay requested author fees
* Satisfaction with traditional subscription-based journals, print or online
* Other:
†
12 A hybrid OA journal is a journal in which some articles are only available to subscribers or readers at subscribing institutions, and some articles are freely available to all readers, usually through the payment of an author fee.† Publishers that offer authors this option for all their journals include the London Mathematical Society (through the Open Access Option) and Springer (through the Open Choice program).† Have you opted to publish a research paper as Open Access (OA) in a hybrid OA journal?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes
* No
* Not Sure
13 Which of the following factors influenced your decision to make your research paper OA in a hybrid OA journal?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question 'P_hybrid ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Requirements of grant-awarding body
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Greater visibility through web search engines
* Higher citation rate for OA papers compared with subscription-restricted papers
* Increased number of readers
* Institution or grant-awarding body covered the author fees
* No access costs to readers worldwide
* Other:
†
14 Which of the following factors influenced your decision *not* to make your research paper OA in a hybrid OA journal?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'No' or 'Not Sure' to question 'P_hybrid ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Have never been offered this option
* Compared with subscription-restricted online papers, easier for others to plagiarize your work
* Availability to inappropriate readers
* Inability to pay requested author fees
* Unwillingness to pay requested author fees
* Satisfaction with traditional subscription-based journals, print or online
* Other:
†
15 When considering whether to serve as a *reviewer or editor* for a particular journal, how important to you are the following factors?
Please choose the appropriate response for each item:
†
Very Important
Moderately Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important at all
The journalís quality and reputation
The publisher or scholarly society associated with the journal
A print version of the journal
An online version of the journal
Inclusion in literature indexes, like MathSciNet or Web of Science
Large number of readers
Specialized journal scope and readership
Assurance of long-term availability
The journal's policies on author rights
Low or no page charges or other author fees
Low or no subscription costs to libraries
Low or no access costs to readers worldwide
Compensation for the reviewer/editor
16 What other factors, if any, are very important to you when considering whether to serve as a reviewer or editor for a particular journal?
Please write your answer here:
†
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
17 At your employing institution/agency/company, who owns the copyright in your research papers prior to publication?
Please choose only one of the following:
* You as the researcher/author own the copyright
* The employer owns the copyright
* Not sure
* Not applicable
18 When you publish a research paper in a journal or book, how important is it to you to retain the following author rights?
Please choose the appropriate response for each item:
†
Very Important
Moderately Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important at all
Copyright
The right to post the publisherís version of the research paper on your website
The right to post an author-created version of the research paper on your website
The right to deposit an author-created version of the research paper in the arXiv or other online repository
The right to distribute photocopies of the research paper to your students
The right for others at your institution to use copies of the research paper in teaching
The right to email a copy of the research paper to other mathematicians
The right to re-use part or all of the research paper in your future papers or books
19 What other author rights, if any, are very important to you when publishing a research paper?
Please write your answer here:
†
20 For most research papers that you have published since 2001, do you have the following author rights?†
Please choose the appropriate response for each item:
†
Yes
No
Not Sure
Copyright
The right to post the publisherís version of the research paper on your website
The right to post an author-created version of the research paper on your website
The right to deposit an author-created version of the research paper in the arXiv or other online repository
The right to distribute photocopies of the research paper to your students
The right for others at your institution to use copies of the research paper in teaching
The right to email a copy of the research paper to other mathematicians
The right to re-use part or all of the research paper in your future papers or books
21 Which of the following responses have you made to the publication contract (sometimes called an Authorís Agreement or Copyright Transfer Form) the publisher sends you when your research paper is accepted for publication?
Please choose all that apply:
* Signed the contract without examining it
* Signed the contract after examining it
* Attached an addendum when returning the contract, to retain more author rights
* Amended terms in the contract to retain more author rights
* Chose to sign a license agreement as an alternative to a copyright transfer form
* Looked for a different journal/publisher with better author rights policies
* Refused to sign the contract because of concern about the author rights terms
* Other:
†
22 When you have used an addendum, amended contract terms, or otherwise negotiated with a publisher for more author rights, how successful were you in the negotiations?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Always successful
* Usually successful
* Usually unsuccessful
* Always unsuccessful
* Not applicable
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
23 How frequently do you and your collaborators use the following methods and tools to develop ideas and/or write up your joint research?† Please *only* include your use of these tools in *research collaborations*, not in personal, teaching or other situations.
Please choose the appropriate response for each item:
†
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Usually
Always
Face-to-face meetings
Telephone/internet phone/Skype
Fax
Letter sent by mail/post
E-mail
Instant messaging/chat
Virtual meeting/video conference
Online communication or collaboration tools, such as a wiki or blog, Facebook, or Google Docs
24 Which of the following online methods/tools do you and your collaborators use to develop ideas and/or write up your joint research?† Please *only* include your use of these tools in *research collaborations*, not in personal, teaching or other situations.
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'Never' to question 'C_method_freq ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Google Groups or Yahoo! Groups
* LinkedIn or Facebook
* a blog, such as The Polymath blog
* Twitter
* a wiki, such as PBwiki/PBworks
* a course management system, such as moodle, Blackboard, WebCT
* a collaborative writing website, such as Google Docs, Zoho, ScribTeX
* a file-sharing space, such as Netfiles, Dropbox, Syncplicity
* a citation-sharing tool, such as del.icio.us, RefWorks, Zotero
* Other:
†
25 In the next year, do you expect that your use of online research collaboration tools will change or stay the same?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Decrease
* Stay about the same
* Increase
OTHER SHARING OF RESEARCH
26 How often do you post a downloadable version of your research papers on your own website?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Never
* Rarely
* Sometimes
* Usually
* Always
27 How familiar are you with arXiv, the physics/mathematics repository of Open Access content?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Not aware of it
* You have previously heard of it but never used it
* You have used it to read research papers by others
* Co-author or other (e.g., librarian) has posted at least one of your research papers in it
* You have posted at least one of your own research papers in it
* You regularly post your own research papers in it
28 Which of the following factors influenced your decision to contribute your scholarly output to the arXiv?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Co-author or other (e.g., librarian) has posted at least one of your research papers in it' or 'You have posted at least one of your own research papers in it' or 'You regularly post your own research papers in it' to question 'S_arxiv ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Better availability and visibility of your previously published work
* Availability and visibility of your work not previously published
* Early dissemination of your research findings
* Assurance of long-term availability
* Requirements of grant-awarding body
* Department/institution/employer requirement
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Your professional reputation
* Reputation of the arXiv
* Greater visibility through web search engines
* Higher citation rate for OA papers compared with subscription-restricted papers
* No access costs to readers worldwide
* Responsibility to share research
* Standard practice for researchers in your field
* Other:
†
29 Which of the following factors influenced your decision *not* to contribute your scholarly output to the arXiv?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'You have previously heard of it but never used it' or 'You have used it to read research papers by others' to question 'S_arxiv ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Unsure if allowed by existing publication contracts
* Potential harm to future publication prospects
* Your ability to retain copyright of your research paper
* Compared with subscription-based online journals, easier for others to plagiarize your work
* Time required by deposit process
* Difficulty of deposit process
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Your professional reputation
* Reputation of the arXiv
* Unsure of long-term availability
* Potential for unwanted changes to your work
* Availability to inappropriate readers
* Insufficient advantages
* Satisfaction with traditional subscription-based journals, print or online
* Standard practice for researchers in your field
* Other:
†
30 How familiar are you with your institutionís online repository of Open Access content?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Not aware of it
* You have previously heard of it but never used it
* You have used it to read research papers by others
* Co-author or other (e.g., librarian) has posted at least one of your research papers in it
* You have posted at least one of your own research papers in it
* You regularly post your own research papers in it
* Your institution definitely doesnít have an online repository
31 Which of the following factors influenced your decision to contribute your scholarly output to your institutionís online repository?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Co-author or other (e.g., librarian) has posted at least one of your research papers in it' or 'You have posted at least one of your own research papers in it' or 'You regularly post your own research papers in it' to question 'S_IR ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Better availability and visibility of your previously published work
* Availability and visibility of your work not previously published
* Early dissemination of your research findings
* Assurance of long-term availability
* Requirements of grant-awarding body
* Department/institution/employer requirement
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Your professional reputation
* Reputation of your institutionís online repository
* Greater visibility through web search engines
* Higher citation rate for OA papers compared with subscription-restricted papers
* No access costs to readers worldwide
* Responsibility to share research
* Standard practice for researchers in your field
* Other:
†
32 Which of the following factors influenced your decision *not* to contribute your scholarly output to your institutionís online repository?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'You have previously heard of it but never used it' or 'You have used it to read research papers by others' to question 'S_IR ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Unsure if allowed by existing publication contracts
* Potential harm to future publication prospects
* Your ability to retain copyright of your research paper
* Compared with subscription-based online journals, easier for others to plagiarize your work
* Time required by deposit process
* Difficulty of deposit process
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Your professional reputation
* Reputation of your institutionís online repository
* Unsure of long-term availability
* Potential for unwanted changes to your work
* Availability to inappropriate readers
* Insufficient advantages
* Satisfaction with traditional subscription-based journals, print or online
* Standard practice for researchers in your field
* Other:
†
33 Do you regularly post your research papers in any other Open Access repository (besides the arXiv or your institutional repository)?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes
* No
34 Please give the name or URL of the other OA repository you regularly use.
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question 'S_other_archive ]
Please write your answer here:
†
35 Which of the following factors influenced your decision to contribute your scholarly output to the other OA repository you use?
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question 'S_other_archive ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Better availability and visibility of your previously published work
* Availability and visibility of your work not previously published
* Early dissemination of your research findings
* Assurance of long-term availability
* Requirements of grant-awarding body
* Department/institution/employer requirement
* Tenure and/or promotion criteria
* Your professional reputation
* Reputation of the OA repository
* Greater visibility through web search engines
* Higher citation rate for OA papers compared with subscription-restricted papers
* No access costs to readers worldwide
* Responsibility to share research
* Standard practice for researchers in your field
* Other:
†
36 What types of research products have you deposited in any of these OA repositories?
Please choose all that apply:
* None
* Research papers only
* Software
* Data sets
* Tools to analyze that data
* Graphic enhancements
* Animations
* Interactive examples that may be varied by the reader
* Other:
†
37 In the next year, do you expect that your level of contributing to these OA repositories will change or stay the same?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Decrease
* Stay about the same
* Increase
38 In your opinion, how likely are mathematicians to make their research openly accessible, compared with researchers in other science fields?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Less likely
* Equally likely
* More likely
39 Please explain why you think mathematicians are more/less/equally likely to make their research papers openly accessible, compared with researchers in other science fields.
Please write your answer here:
†
FINAL THOUGHTS
40 The last step is to hit the Submit button below; thank you for participating in this survey.† The resulting picture of mathematical scholarly communication will be shared with the larger research community, as well as with survey participants.
You may enter any final comments in the anonymous text box below; please DO NOT include any personal contact information in this box.† If you would like a response, please email your comments or questions to Kristine Fowler, the researcher in charge of this project, at fowle013@umn.edu
Please write your answer here:
†
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Thank you for completing this survey.